Ketiee and fork cleaher



NITED sTATEs PATENT formen.

JOHN PROTZ, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNIFE AND FORK CLEANER.

Specieaton of Letters Patent No. 27,472, dated March 18, 1860.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PROTZ, of Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Device for Cleaning Knives and Forks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speci fication, in which* Figure l is a side view of my invention with the side of the box or case nearest the eye removed. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of ditto, with the lid opened. Fig. 3 an end view of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several ligures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a simple and economical device by which both knives and forks may be expeditiously cleaned in a thorough manner. The invention is designed for ordinary family use and to be operated manually.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a rectangular box which is provided with a lid, a, attached to the box by hinges, Z) ZJ. Io the inner side of this lid a leather strap, B, is attached, one end of said strap being secured to Ya projecting block, c, and the opposite end `secured to a slide,cZ, which is fitted in a guide platefC, attached to the lid; the slide, CZ, having a nut, e, connected to it through which nut and a project-ion or bearing, f, on the plate, a screw rod, g, passes, as shown clearly in Figs. l and 2. The strap, B, may be tight ened when necessary by turning the screw rod, g.

At one end of the box, A, there is a metal plate, 7L, through which near its lower end a slot, z', is made. Between this plate, Zz, and guides, y' j, which are attached to the inner surfaces of the sides of the box, A, a block, Ze, is tted. This block is allowed to rise and fall freely between the plate, h, and guides, 7' j, and two flat springs, Z Z, are attached to it, said springs being secured to the bottom of the box, A, and having a tendency to keep the block, 7c, elevated, as shown in Fig. l, so as to leave a space, Zik, between its bottom and the bottom of the box, said space being in line with the slot, i, in plate, ZL. The bottom of block, 7c, is provided with a piece of leather, m, and a similar piece of leather fn, is attached to the bottom of the box underneath the block, 7c. The upper surface of the block, 7c, is provided with a knob, 0.

The implement is used as follows: A requisite quantity of brick dust, powdered pumice, or other suitable substance is placed within the box, A, and if knives are to be cleaned the blades are passed one at a time through the slot, z', and under the block, 7c, the latter being pressed down by the hand and the blade drawn back and forth between the pieces of leather, m n, the brick dust and other material within the box and with which the blades come in contact, serving in connection with the pressure to which the blades are subjected between the leathers, m n, to clean and polish the blades. Forks are cleaned by raising and turning over the lid, a, and rubbing them on the leather, B, the bolster' and outer surfaces of the tines being cleaned by rubbing them on the face or outer surface of the leather, B, and the sides of the tines cleaned by adjusting the forks to the leather so that the latter will be between the tines. The bolsters of the knives are also cleaned on leather B, and all stretching of the leather by use or other causes is compensated for by turning screw rod, g.

The box, A, may be of wood. The whole may be furnished at a small cost.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The box, A, provided at one end wit-h the pressure block, Z3, attached to springs, Z Z, in connection with the leather, B, secured to the inner side of the lid, A, of the box, and connected at one end to a slide, d, all being arranged to form an improved article of manufacture, for the purposes, specied.

JOHN PRO'IZ.

Witnesses JOHN S'ro'rzER, DAN L. SGHLOUGH. 

